Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Syrian prelate urges West to end sanctions and support for rebels

Syria’s leading Catholic prelate is calling on Western nations to end
their sanctions against the Syrian government and their support for
rebel factions.

Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Ephrem III Younan told Vatican
Radio: “I still hope that the Western countries — that means the Western
politicians — would agree to stop financing and arming [rebels], because
otheriwse there will be no end to the sectarian war.”

The Patriarch of Damascus also said that he hopes for an end to
international sanctions.

“Those sanctions surely hurt the population,
not those who are in the government,” he said.